FEW villages in the district can vie for prettiness with Hursley, the village on the road from Winchester to Romsey.

It may lack the thatched cottages that epitomise Hampshire rural charm, but it boasts many elegant redbrick houses festooned with roses, ivy or wisteria.

The village is noted for its numerous Tudor-style chimney pots that actually date from the 19th century when much of the village was rebuilt.

A walk in Hursley evokes a bygone era. It retains the quartet of shop-pub-church school. Few villages now retain not one but two pubs, a newsagent/post office and other shops, including a butcher.

It may be ironic that the retention of these facilities is aided by the presence just over the hill at Hursley Park of the IBM laboratory, at the forefront of cutting-edge research. The American company employs around 3,000 people and brings trade to the village.

Like most places these days most villagers work elsewhere, but Hursley has a strong sense of identity and with it, community.

That can be seen by the revamp of the parish hall after a fund-raising drive. A reopening ceremony is planned for Saturday, April 18.

One villager who spearheaded the fund-raising was John Heath, of Main Road, treasurer of the hall’s management committee.

Back in 2004, he said they realised that the building, which dates to the mid-1850s, was in poor repair: “It was going to take £35,000 just to keep it upright, so we thought why don’t we improve the hall so that it’s suitable for the 21st century instead of the 19th?”

A £675,000 scheme was hatched and most of it was secured through grants, including one from the foundation of Geoff and Fiona Squire, of Hursley Estate.

Villagers are aiming to collect around £30,000 by the end of 2009.

Mr Heath added that it would have been hard to attract grants without residents backing the scheme.

He said: “I think it’s great that we’ve achieved it in a relatively short period.

“When you look at these things, it’s easy to be in awe when you have to raise £675,000 and ask ‘can it be done?’ but we’ve shown that it’s possible.”

One of the first events in the revamped hall was a quiz night earlier this month. It was organised by the Parent and Teacher Association of the village’s John Keble Primary School.

Amanda Apps, 42, who chairs the group, moved to Hursley seven years ago, having previously lived in Winchester and Alresford.

She said: “One of the reasons we chose Hursley is that it has shops and there’s a primary school and some pubs. It’s also within 10 minutes’ drive of the M3.”

Mrs Apps added that shortly after becoming a mother, she realised there were more community groups in Hursley than first met the eye. She said they ranged from mums and tots’ groups to table tennis clubs.

The village hosts several events, including the annual Hursley fair, which she helps to organise. It will be held in the school grounds on Saturday, June 13, and up to 1,000 visitors are expected.

At the heart of any village lucky enough still to have one — or in Hursley’s case, two — is the pub.

Paul and Mandy Gilbert took over the Dolphin Inn, which is in Main Road, around 18 months ago.

Mrs Gilbert said: “It’s a pretty and a friendly village with a very good community spirit.We like being here.”

Dave Twynham, who runs Main Road scene in Hursley the other pub in Main Road, the Kings Head, has lived in the village since 2001.

He said: “I think you might have to be second-generation Hursley before you can call yourself a proper villager.

“It’s a good place to work, though. Our pub is also pretty much the largest building in the village centre with four storeys including a skittle alley.”

With seven guestrooms, he added that they often took in people on courses at IBM.

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